UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
MISCELLANEOUS CIRCULAR NO. 18 
WASHINGTON, D. C. May, 1924 
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BANDING BIRDS’ 
FREDERICK C. LINCOLN 
Assistant Biologist, Division of Biological Investigations 
Bureau of Biological Survey 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
STOP GUITGh OMe oS ee 1 eb aee tor sland Dir Sas = eee 14 
Trapping birds for banding________ 3) | Operationcote trapse ee 15 
“ Government’? sparrow trap ______ 3 | Handline captured birds_ 2) — Ss 22== 15 
E¥onsestnapeeseens a ee Sal eAtitachincs ham ds es ss ee eee 19 
LIPTD WOT Sa ee Ou la Bandiholderss =) 2 2 Se eee 21 
BAN atLy-CASe trae 22 te ital sneleqsina pirds. 2.2 ee 22 
BYGNT DO xe tap a 123) SR epontgt = 22 Se tere Se ee ee 22 
Mee aHT ORIN) CAL Geo  2 13> | pilbiteratwres ee de ee Bee 26 
Other methods of trapping________ 13 | Problems that can be solved _______ 27 
INTRODUCTION. 
Bird banding in’America dates from the time of Audubon, who, 
about 1803, placed silver threads around the legs of a brood of 
phoebes and was rewarded the following season by having two of his 
marked birds return to nest in the same vicinity. In Europe, the 
“ringing ” of birds was attempted as early as 1710, but it was not 
until 1899 that systematic work was undertaken. Between that year 
and 1914, about twenty different organizations took up the work, 
one of the results of their activities being an accumulation of valu- 
able information on the habits and migratory movements of birds 
(Lincoln, 1921a).? 
The earlier investigators marked their birds in a variety of ways, 
such as dyeing or staining the flight or tail feathers, attaching memo- 
randa written on parchment, or mutilating feathers, feet, or bill. 
Obviously, such expedients would not be satisfactory for any general 
investigation. The most suitable device is the numbered aluminum 
band, or ring, attached to the tarsus, or bare portion, of one leg of 
the bird. 
In the United States, active experimental work was begun in 1901, 
and several instances of bird banding were either planned or attempted 
during the next few years. One of these, by the New Haven (Conn.) 
Bird Club, was reported at the annual meeting of the American 
1This circular is a revision of, and supersedes, Department Circular No. 170, Instruc- 
tions for Bird Banding. f renee o 
* Literature citations in parenthesis refer to the bibliography on page 26. 
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